Exploring psychological resilience among pre-adolescents orphaned by AIDS: a case study
Abstract
English: Children maturing toward adulthood not only grow physically, but also develop psychologically and in ways
that define intellectual, social, spiritual and emotional characteristics. The circumstances or conditions in
which this growth takes place can impede or enhance their development. Presently, poor socio-economic
circumstances in South Africa are fuelling the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune
Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in the country, which is depriving families and communities of the
assets and social structures necessary for the healthy development of children. In many instances, HIV/AIDS
causes the very conditions that enable the epidemic to thrive. However, some children seem to cope,
irrespective of these challenging conditions. They appear to rise above their circumstances and attain
outcomes associated with healthy development. In other words, faced with significant stressors or adversity,
these children display the ability to be resilient.
With this in mind, research was conducted to identify and explore factors contributing to psychological
resilience among children who lost their primary caregivers as a result of AIDS. The research focused on
eight pre-adolescents living in a community care facility, Lebone Land in Bloemfontein. Primary data were
obtained by means of individual interviews. Research tools that incorporate drawing were used to assist and
structure the data collection process. Factors that enable the children to cope with and overcome adversities
related to AIDS, as well as the actual adversities pertaining to each child, were identified and explored. In
addition, individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven key informants involved with the
education and care of these children in order to collect complementary data regarding the children's
behaviour, prior residence and family characteristics, as well as future prospects.
Data were anaylised using the constant comparative method. Results indicated that adversities such as
illness, death, poverty and violence were significant among the children in the research group. Common
factors that contributed to psychological resilience among the group mainly included morality, social values, resistance skills, religion and faith. These inner resources generally played an important role in assisting the
children with their purpose in life. To this end, constructive use of time, commitment to learning, goal-setting,
problem-solving ability and self-efficacy played a fundamental role in attaining their future projections.
Therefore, the qualities of optimism, perseverance and hope characterised the children’s process of recovery.
Strong relational networks of support, particularly friendships with other children from Lebone, also
contributed toward developing and sustaining resilience.
Based on these results, it is theorised that the causal conditions leading to psychological resilience include
need deprivation with resulting tension, and that these elicit the use of defences, specifically repression as a
means of coping with traumatic incidents or adversity. As far as the latter is concerned, psychological
resilience entails the constant resolution and mediation of the past, present and future. This process
necessitates the development of self-awareness not only to facilitate access to external and internal
resources, but also to effectively deal with pain associated with loss. The key determining factor or relational
condition thought to influence this process is love. In addition, it is posited that by way of cognitive reframing or
“re-authoring” and the configuration of a strong internal locus of control (belief system), children may
overcome adversity and lead constructive lives.
The results of this study suggest that programmes aimed at promoting resilience in AIDS orphans should
employ a Gestalt therapy approach and incorporate creative and expressive activities. Outcomes of such
initiatives should preferably be demonstrated by means of longitudinal research strategies. Afrikaans: Met volwassewording groei kinders nie net fisies nie, maar ontwikkel ook psigies en op wyses wat
intellektuele, sosiale, geestelike en emosionele eienskappe definieer. Die omstandighede of toestande
waarin hierdie groei plaasvind kan hul ontwikkeling strem of bevorder. Swak sosio-ekonomiese
omstandighede in Suid-Afrika versnel tans die Menslike Immuungebrekvirus (MIV) en die Verworwe
Immuungebreksindroom (VIGS) epidemie wat gesinne en gemeenskappe van die nodige bates en sosiale
strukture vir die gesonde ontwikkeling van kinders ontneem. In baie gevalle veroorsaak MIV/VIGS juis die
toestande wat die epidemie laat toeneem. Sommige kinders toon egter die vermoë om hierdie uitdagende
toestande te kan hanteer. Dit blyk dat hulle bo hul omstandighede uitstyg en uitkomste wat met gesonde
ontwikkeling verband hou, bereik. Met ander woorde, gegewe die stressors of teenslae wat hierdie kinders in
die gesig staar, toon hulle psigologiese weerbaarheid.
Op grond van die voorafgaande is navorsing onderneem om die faktore wat tot psigologiese weerbaarheid
by VIGS-wese mag lei te identifiseer en te ondersoek. Primêre data is deur middel van individuele
onderhoude met agt preadolessente van ʼn gemeenskapversorgingsfasiliteit, Lebone Land in Bloemfontein,
verkry. Navorsingsinstrumente wat teken as aktiwiteit insluit is as hulpmiddel gebruik om die
dataversamelingsproses te struktureer. Faktore wat kinders in staat stel om teenslae wat met VIGS verband
hou te hanteer en die hoof te bied, asook spesifieke teenslae ten opsigte van elke kind, is geïdentifiseer en
ondersoek. Bykomend is individuele semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met sewe sleutelpersone gehou wat
by die onderrig en versorging van hierdie kinders betrokke is. Tydens hierdie onderhoude is aanvullende
data aangaande die kinders se gedrag, vroeëre verblyf- en gesinseienskappe, en toekomsverwagtinge
ingesamel.
Data is deur middel van die konstante vergelykende metode geanaliseer. Die resultate toon dat veral
teenslae soos siekte, dood, armoede en geweld onder die kinders in die navorsingsgroep voorgekom het.
Algemene faktore wat tot psigologiese weerbaarheid gelei het, het hoofsaaklik moraliteit, sosiale waardes,
weerstandsvaardighede, asook godsdiens en geloof ingesluit. Hierdie innerlike hulpbronne het ʼn belangrike
bydrae tot die verwesenliking van hul lewensdoelstellings gelewer. Ten opsigte hiervan het konstruktiewe
tydgebruik, verbintenis tot leer, doelwitstelling, probleemoplossingsvaardighede en selfeffektiwiteit ʼn
fundamentele rol gespeel ten einde hul toekomsprojeksies te bereik. Optimisme, deursettingsvermoë en
hoop het die kinders se herstelproses gekenmerk. Sterk ondersteuningsnetwerke, veral vriendskappe met
ander kinders van Lebone, het ook tot die ontwikkeling en volhoubaarheid van weerbaarheid bygedra.
Op grond van hierdie resultate word geredeneer dat die toestande wat tot psigologiese weerbaarheid lei,
behoefte deprivasie en gevolglike spanning behels wat verdedigingsmeganismes ontlok, spesifiek repressie
as metode om traumatiese insidente of teenslae te hanteer. In hierdie verband bestaan psigologiese
weerbaarheid uit die konstante bemiddeling en oplossing van aspekte rakende die verlede, hede en
toekoms. Dié proses noodsaak nie net die ontwikkeling van gesonde selfbewussyn om toegang tot eksterne
en interne hulpbronne te fasiliteer nie, maar ook om pyn wat met verlies verband hou effektief te hanteer. Die
sleutelfaktor of verhoudingsvoorwaarde wat hierdie proses beïnvloed blyk liefde te wees. Bykomend word
aangevoer dat kinders deur middel van kognitiewe herstrukturering of “herskrywing”, asook die strukturering
van ‘n sterk interne lokus van beheer (oortuigings), teenslae kan oorkom en ʼn konstruktiewe lewe kan lei.
Die resultate van hierdie studie dui daarop dat programme wat die bevordering van weerbaarheid by VIGSwese
ten doel stel, ‘n gestaltterapie-benadering moet volg en kreatiewe en ekspressiewe aktiwiteite insluit.
Die uitkomste van sulke inisiatiewe moet verkieslik deur longitudinale navorsingstrategieë aangedui word.